Categories are groups of products that you wish to show on the same page in your store (for example, Women's Fashion or Men's Clothing). They help customers navigate through the store and find the products they need.
Creating categories and subcategories
The products from one category are listed on a separate page in the storefront. This page can have a description and a featured image that represents the category.
In your store, you can create a complex category structure with several levels. Categories on the first level are referred to as root categories. These are the categories your customers see in the main navigation. You can also create categories on the second, third, etc. level within your root category. They are referred to as subcategories or child categories.
Customers can navigate your categories and subcategories with the help of breadcrumbs – special links that show the path to the page they are currently viewing.
Categories are included in the store product spreadsheet that you complete during the store setup process. You can always add or edit categories and subcategories later, however.
To create a new root category:
- Go to Catalog > Categories.
- Click “Add Root Category.”
- Enter the name of your category.
- Click “Choose file” to upload an image for your category. You can upload an image that represents your category or an image of a product from the category.
- Enter a description (optional).
- Click Save.
To create a new subcategory, select the root category you want to add a subcategory to from the category tree on the left, then click “Add Subcategory.”
Changing category order
If you wish to show some categories first, you can change the order of categories and subcategories. Go to Catalog > Categories and drag and drop categories in the category tree.
Assigning products to categories
In your store, a product must belong to at least one category. When you add products without assigning them to any of your own categories, they are automatically assigned to the “Store Front page” category and appear as featured products on your storefront.
To assign a product to a category:
- Go to Catalog > Categories.
- Select the category you want to assign a product to from the category tree on the left.
- Switch to the Category products tab.
- Click “Assign Products to Category.”
- Select the necessary items in the list. You can filter the products by SKU and Name.
- Click “Add products” to assign items in bulk (or click the “+” icon to assign products one by one).
You can also assign and remove categories in bulk for selected products right on the Catalog > Products page. Check all the products you want to update, click Mass Update and choose your option.
Besides making such changes on the category level, you can also assign a product to categories (or move a product from one category to another) right in the product's editing page.
You can also see how many products are assigned to any category in the category tree in Catalog > Categories.
Note: It may take several minutes for the numbers to update in the category tree after you make changes in your catalog structure.
Sorting products in categories
You can choose in what order to show the products in the storefront to your customers. Products can be automatically sorted by date added, by price, or by name. Or you can set a custom order of products within a category and arrange the products manually.
Disabling and deleting categories
If you wish to remove a category from your store, you can disable it or delete it permanently.
Disabling a category
When you disable a category, it stops showing in your store. At the same time, you can see it in your store Control Panel and re-enable it, if needed.
To disable a category, go to Catalog > Categories, select the category you want to disable, and click “Disable.”
The enabled products from a disabled category will not show in the storefront navigation, but will still be available by a direct link and in the search results.
Deleting a category
If you wish to remove a category completely, you can delete it. Go to Catalog > Categories, select the category in the category tree on the left, then click “Delete category.”
The products that were assigned to the deleted category will not be deleted. They will be moved to the Store Front page category.
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